So Play We All Week 8: Open Topic

[Harkins]

Here's the Week 8 poll of So Play We All, where three browser games are developed in public and BBGZ votes on who made the best progress. This week we spent 3 hours on any topic:

The contenders:
Oaqn: Lazy Updates
Allabrilyn: No Rest For The Wicked
Fantasy Adventure: Bar fights and wenches

Last week's poll, tie between Oaqn and Fantasy Adventure. Want more info? Here's the site for the contest with rules and links to every update: SoPlayWeAll.com

[Chris]

3 hours... Wow, that's harsh... BTW, huch much time total you estimate for the whole project?

[Harkins]

Only Jim is really estimating out more than a few hours at a time, I think. Luke and I are thinking more about building steady, reliable habits of making progress than the end goal right now.

[girasquid]

Luke and I are thinking more about building steady, reliable habits of making progress than the end goal right now.

That's basically exactly how it is, for me - steady progress towards the goal.

[Chris]

Luke and I are thinking more about building steady, reliable habits of making progress than the end goal right now.

You don't need a habit of making steady progress. You need a habit of reaching goals. Making progress on itself is pointless and worthless, it has value only if it is a tool to reach the goal. Your subconscious won't accept "I have not reached the goal but I made steady progress", it will rebel and that's what could be the reason of the lack of "making progress habit". Take a look at it from your subconscious perspective, in scenario one you work hard and reach nothing, in scenario two you do nothing and fool around resting and reach nothing, obviously subconscious will try to get to the second scenario since the effect is the same and the cost is zero. Such habit of making progress without reaching the goal biologically speaking is a negative trait and your whole body and subconscious will resist

[gnoh]

hah wtf :p   I want what ever you're taking Chris :p

Reaching goals and making steady progress are one of the same... :p 

[Chris]

Reaching goals and making steady progress are one of the same... :p  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sisyphus
He makes progress most of the time (except when he is almost at the top of the hill)... it is just that he never reach the goal.

[gnoh]

Maybe his personal goal is to roll it up the hill x times a day, maybe he gets sa
The task is a punishment anyway..   Doesn't appear to have a goal and I think that's the whole point of the story.

Lets say your goal is to write a chat system,  writing the message routing one day is still progress towards having the chat system...

Anyway it's a well known fact that chuff charts work as a motivational tool,  counting down the days to a holiday, how much weight you've lost so far, cutting your personal debt..  All these things don't happen immediately but they can still be a goal and you can and should make steady progress towards them.

[Marek]

Chris makes a good pint that progress is not worth much if you have nothing to show for it in the end.

It's true that unfortunately, the world won't care if you got 90% of the way to your goal. Either you reached it or you didn't.

It's a matter of semantics. Progress only makes sense when defined relative to a goal. And a goal can only be reached by progress. So it's a bit circular and the words don't really mean anything on their own.

The Sisyphus story is essentially about how tragic it is to work so hard and for it to be completely meaningless. I hope none of the SPWA projects end up so tragically.